2003 LinuxQuestions.org Members Choice AwardsThis forum is for the 2003 LinuxQuestions.org Members Choice Awards.
You can now vote for your favorite products of 2003. This is your chance to be heard!

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Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

I learned to use Linux with Slackware 8.0. After I learned enough to get around without floundering, I tried Mandrake, which a friend said I should try. I popped the CD in, installed it, and oohed and aahed over the pretty interface, but after a bit, I realized there was an element of richness, of fullness-- of depth missing.
I went back to Slackware. this time with the brand new 8.1 CDs that my Dad got me for Christmas, saying it was probably the best Linux distro out there at the time.
I puttered about with Linux for a while after that, until real life came up and bit me in the ass, precluding nearly all my use of computers for fun for several months. But, like a bicycle, once you lean you never forget. I tried Slackware 9.0, which had just came out, and this crufty thing nearly broke my faith in Pat Volkerding. (I use his full name as my first name is the same as his.) Could it be that Slackware had become... tainted? I tried other distros: I tried Crux, I tried Dead Rat-- er, Red Hat --I tried FreeBSD, and nearly stuck with that, I tried Arch, and I used that for a good while, and I came to Gentoo. What was this... It's like Arch, but it's more flexible, hmm...I installed it. After 3 excruciating weeks of getting my system right, It was installed. So I get online, and what do I see: Slackware 9.1 has been released! I thought for a moment about the work I put into getting Gentoo installed, said "fsck it", and installed 9.1.

So, while it may not have been one's typical intro to the Linux world and to Slackware, it was mine, and that is the reason I am going to vote for Slackware.

I voted RH but I'm using Pink Tie 9 which is an RH9 clone. There are just SO many distro's out there! I can see where Slackware would be ahead. I've used it and actually like it. But it's a bit harder to set up, especially hardware compatibility (at least, it was the case for me when trying Slackware 8). I Opted for an RH based distro because it's easier to set up, and it detected all my hardware. Peripherals such as printer, scanner and digital camera were also easily set up in the RH based distro I use. I guess that's why it got my vote this time. I'm hoping to experiment in the future more with Slackware and LFS (Linux From Scratch) if I'm up to it. With RH's new changes, I don't like the scheme around Fedora (doesn't fit me, especially the rather fast End of Life occurrances), I am looking into a more source-based distro.

Wonder how many distros there will be at end of 2004, compared to now.

Started with Knoppix, to get a look at what all the fuss about Linux was. Loved the look of it, then tried SuSE 8.0, problems.......tried Debian, quite liked that but didn't have enough experience - switched back to SuSE, virtually all problems solved with 8.2, but now having seen the pretty GUI, I am investigating what can be done from the shell, and wow that opens the mind as to where we are going with GUI this and that, when single line commands can do so much:-

From this review I learnt how to effectively get at the CUPS printing system,
amongst other things.

Maybe I am going to try Slackware out. I like what I read in this article and just maybe I should have started out with such a Linux, which would force me to learn from the command line, and X, rather than taking the GUI easy way out.

The command line in Linux is certainly very powerful, this is going to be fun.

Wonder how many distros there will be at end of 2004, compared to now.

Interestingly, there's been a recent acknowledgement at Distrowatch at the growth of distro submissions to its site - apparently, around 3-4 new distros are submitted every week - something for everyone.. exciting times ahead .......

I have tried RedHat 9 / Fedora / and Slackware 9.1 and Slackware is the winner by far. I would have to agree with what most people say about slack. It forces you to learn. I have learned more within a few days of using it than I had with any other distro. The only problem i had was with upgrading my system with swaret and it updated the kernel and alsa so my soundblaster live card would not work so i reinstalled it and just made my security tighter and didn't upgrade.

Originally posted by Cruxus In all seriousness, can I nominate Microsoft Windows? Okay, you don't have to throw the rotten fruit that hard! I can take a hint!

The award is for best Distirbution of the year, Microsoft is disqualified since its not a Linux Distribution. I failed to see the award to be for best OS of the year as this is mainly a Linux site, were not going to have awards for Windows or even some of the other OS's currently out there.